Synopsis
Classify lower urinary tract symptoms accurately, identify the underlying mechanism and separate routine assessment from urgent threats.
- Storage symptoms occur while the bladder fills: urgency, increased frequency, nocturia and urinary leakage.
- Voiding symptoms concern the act of urination, including hesitancy, weak stream, intermittency, straining and terminal dribble.
- Post-micturition symptoms include feeling incompletely emptied and leakage after the stream has finished.
Investigation priorities
Locate the symptom in time and identify potentially reversible contributors before choosing further tests.
Management branches
Symptoms affect daily life without retention or other concerning features.
- Agree the dominant symptom and a practical goal, such as fewer urgency leaks during the journey to work. Document baseline impact rather than treating an isolated numerical score.
- Review drinks and medication timing, constipation, access to toilets and mobility. Reduce excessive caffeine and avoid both habitual overdrinking and indiscriminate fluid restriction; tailor evening intake to the diary.